Division II Weekly Recap: Queens Men Beats Duke In Start To 2018

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Photo Courtesy: Queens Athletics

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As most of the teams in the country are coming home from their training trips from around the country, the teams are getting settled in to new semester schedules as the Division II NCAA Championships are just about eight weeks away. The #1 Queens men proved they are going to be tough to beat though in the new year as they ended their home duel meet schedule over Division I Duke out of the ACC. The #2 Queens women fell short of the Blue Devils but still put up a good fight in their home pool.

The Royals got a good swim in the 500 out of freshman Hendrik Faber from the Netherlands. Faber swam a 4:31.29 in the 500 to swim just off his 4:30 from the Royals’ mid-season invitational. Faber also won the 1000 at 9:28.55 for his best time. He split a 9:29 at the mid-season meet on his way to his mile time.

Faber was an unlikely hero on the day for the Royals as they got some good swims out of the usuals Paul Pijulet and Marius Kusch. Pijulet won the 100 (47.75) and 200 back (1:46.41) and Kusch won both butterfly events (48.05, 1:47.28).

The Queens women were highlighted by wins from Wanda Dollmayer in the 50 free (23.20) and Josephina Lorda in the 200 free (1:51.01) as well as close calls from McKenzie Stevens in the 200 fly (2:00.35) and Francesca Bains in the 1000 (10:09.57).

The Queens women are currently ranked second behind Drury, who did not compete because they were on their training trip in Hawaii.

A couple teams swam their mid-season invites in mid-December with Delta State hosting their Christmas Invitational where they had very fast swims. The Statesmen out of Mississippi hosted Lindenwood and a number of other teams that put on a stellar showing in mid-December.

Delta State and Lindenwood swam so well that the men’s teams both climbed into the top four in the new Division II poll. The Lindenwood women went from 19th to 4th in the new poll while Delta State went from 23rd to 16th.

Lindenwood had good swims out of Christian Vasquez in the 400 IM who currently leads Division II (3:49.85) and Justin Winnett in the 100 breast (53.46) as he also leads Division II in the event. Matheus Isidro who swam a 1:46.11 in the 200 fly to currently sit third behind the record holder Kusch. The Lindenwood women have seen success from Simone de Rijcke who leads Division II in the 200 free (1:47.92) and is second in the 500 (4:48.38) and the 1000 (10:04.46).

Delta State put on a showing in their home pool thanks to Mattia SchirruGiulio Brugnoni and Caroline Jouisse. Brugnoni is one of the best swimmers in the nation with his second place 100 back right now (46.72). Schirru is also one of the best swimmers in the nation as he is one of the favorites in the sprint freestyle events. Junior Nathan Sawicki also had a very strong mile with his 15:23.58 to lead Division II in the event.

Most of the Division II teams will get back in action in the coming weeks as semesters begin. Here is a rundown of what went down the last few weeks in Division II:

  • (#9/8) Northern Michigan split with Division I Green Bay as the men wound up victorious
  • (#14) Wingate men defeated Division I Gardner Webb in in-state matchup
  • (#22/NR) Wayne State defeated Saginaw Valley State
  • (#14/5) Grand Valley beat (#25/NR) Findlay
  • (#3/12) Nova Southeastern swept (#14/5) Grand Valley on training trip as January began
  • (#8/20) West Chester won its own West Chester Invitational in mid-December

December 5 recap
November 20 recap
November 6 recap
October 29 recap
October 22 recap
October 16 recap

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